Inspirations
by Lunar Penguin CPhT
Summary: A collection of stories inspired by songs as I hear them. More as I get inspired to write them!
1. Put Your Head on My Shoulder

**I own nothing. The only suggestion I have is that you listen to Michael Buble singing this sing while you read it. It really helps with the atmosphere. Enjoy!**

_Put your head on my shoulder_

Mary cried when the song came on the radio. Marshall looked over at her, concerned. She wasn't known to burst into random fits of sobbing. He moved across the couch to wrap his arms around her shaking frame.

_Hold me in your arms, baby_

Mary instinctively froze but relaxed when she realized it was Marshall. She crumpled into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She leaned her head against his strong chest and let her tears out while trying to breathe in time with his rhythm in an effort to calm herself.

___Squeeze me oh so tight_

Marshall tightened his hold on her; afraid she might run away. He asked her what was wrong and was barely able to make out her response. Apparently, her father had sung this song to her when she was a little girl. He asked her if she wanted him to turn off the radio. She said no. He simply held onto her and rocked her gently and placed feather-light kisses on the top of her head.

___Show me that you love me too._

Ever so slowly, Mary felt him remove himself from her embrace and she was instantly embarrassed. She blushed, tried to rid her face of tears and didn't notice Marshall holding out his hand to her until he nudged her shoulder with it. She looked up at him, took his hand, and was brought to the middle of his living room. He pulled her close with his left arm tightly around her waist and his right hand holding her smaller one close to his chest. He nuzzled his nose in to her hair and let his cheek rest on the top of her head where he, just a second ago, he was placing comforting kisses. Gently, he led her in a slow swaying motion.

_Put your lips next to mine, Dear_

Mary buried her face in his neck in attempt to will herself to stop crying. She held onto him like he was her lifeline. With no one else was she able to just let go of her façade and show her naked emotions like this. Slightly, she pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. There was some confusion masked behind his concern. She leaned in to place a kiss on the closest part of him that she could reach: the corner of his mouth.

___Won't you kiss me once, Baby?_

Marshall's eyes fluttered closed as he experienced the feel of his lips on his skin. He turned his head just a little bit; just enough to kiss her lips as they left his skin. The sharp intake of breath from her indicated her surprise but this did not stop him. It was a short-lived, chaste kiss, but that didn't start the spark that went off his mind and reverberated down his spinal cord to his toes. He wondered if she had felt it too.

___Just a kiss good-night, maybe_

Mary stared into his eyes as he pulled away. Confusion had been replaced by fear. Even the fear was still masked by concern, however. Her tears had since ceased to exist. It was only them in the room. The music echoed in the background, but otherwise all that remained was the two of them. She felt him sigh against her as she stood on her toes to experience another kiss from Marshall.

_Y__ou and I will fall in love._

This kiss was deeper, heady, and needier. He felt it and was pretty sure she felt it too. His right hand released hers and joined the other at the small of her back. He pulled her closer against him as he felt her fingers thread through his hair. The sensation of her fingernails scratching against his scalp was enough to make him shudder. Reluctantly, he pulled his mouth from its ecstasy and rested his forehead against hers.

_Some people say that love's a game_

She was breathless as they continued their dance. Their foreheads had ceased touching and they were now dancing cheek to cheek. Her arms around his neck and his around her waist in a tight hug; they continued their swaying motion. She giggled as he threw her off balance by dipping her slightly; her stress melting away. Only he could do this to her. She mentally kicked herself for taking so long to realize it. He was her best friend, her confidant, her rock. Without him, she was lost. Together they were unbeatable, no one could compete with them. It was then that she realized how much she depended on him to be himself; her Marshall, her knight, her partner. How had she not known?

___A game you just can't win._

Marshall was elated to have her in his arms. He didn't worry that after tonight that they would go back to the way they were. He had her now and that's all that mattered. Long ago, he had learned not to plan things in regard to his fiery tempered partner; that he should just roll with whatever hand she dealt. If tonight was all he had, then he was going to enjoy it. He would be here for her; he would be anything she needed.

___If there's a way,_

Mary savored this moment. She took it all in: the emotions in his eyes, his scent, the feel of his body pressed against her own, and the comfort that she was protected; that Marshall would always protect, defend, and, dare she say, love her, because, damn, did she love him. No one had ever been with her like Marshall was.

___I'll find it some day;_

He held her close as they swayed. They could deal with everything tomorrow; tonight was about her. He brought a hand up to comb through her golden tresses. Brushing it aside, his fingers found the back of her neck. He began to lightly rake his fingernails in small circles around the pale, skin that rarely saw the light of day.

___And then this fool will rush in._

Mary sucked in a breath as she felt Marshall's lips on the pulse point behind her ear. Her eyes drifted shut as he continued the light exploration of her neck His kisses were soft; as if he were afraid she would break. She hugged him tighter to her as the hand that was on her back began to rub circles along her lower spinal column beneath her t-shirt.

_Put your head on my shoulder_

He felt her relax against him as he continued his ministrations of her neck and back. Her head rested on his shoulder and he could feel her warm breath on the sensitive skin of his neck. Marshall held back a shudder as the action of his partner breathing on his skin gave him goose bumps. Reaching behind him, he grabbed her left hand in his right and resumed their previous dancing position. He began taking longer strides to bring her around the perimeter of the room. Her head remained on his shoulder and his arm remained tightly around her waist as he waltzed her in circles.

___Whisper in my ear, Baby_

Mary stumbled a bit when he attempted to twirl her but she regained her balance as he brought her back to him with a smile on his face. She reached behind his head to bring it closer and turned it so his ear was exposed to her lips. The words wouldn't come so she settled for kissing him on his cheek. He wouldn't know she faltered.

___Words I want to hear tell me_

As she turned his head, his eyes widened at the prospect of her whispering into his ear. He was not as disappointed as he thought he would be when he felt her lips on his cheek. He nudged his nose against hers and smiled at her. He saw the unspoken words behind the newer unshed tears in her eyes. Her eyes told him everything. Kissing her on the forehead before leaning his cheek against it, he moved in closer to her ear.

___Tell me that you love me too._

Mary smiled in spite of herself at his confession and was relieved that he was able to discern what was on her mind by simply looking into her eyes. She let him lead her around the room. She let him do a lot of things that others weren't privy to. In response to his words, she pulled his head down and connected them with her kiss. No words needed, she let him know her feelings of reciprocation in this one kiss. She grinned against his lips as he moaned when she ran her tongue against his mouth. Taking the opportunity, she touched her tongue to his as electricity shot through her body.

_Some people say that love's a game_

Marshall continued leading her around the room as they kissed. His hands traveled up her back and held her tight. Many times, he had imagined his confession to his fair skinned partner; but never, in his wildest dreams, had he expected it to be like this. He groaned as he felt her fingers raking along his back. Their tongues dueled in their battle for equal contact.

_A game you just can't win_

Mary was the one to break this kiss. The smooth crooning of Michael Buble was faint in the background. She looked up at Marshall and gave him a small, yet sincere smile. Her eyes watered with unshed tears at the beauty of their actions this evening. What started out as a sad memory was developing into something she'd never forget. She would still cry with this song in the future; albeit not for the same reasons.

_If there's a way,_

Marshall returned her smile with one of his own as he picked up her hand to spin her again. Her laughter was little silver bells against the music that played in the background. He wanted to be the only one to make her laugh like that; the first and last person she would see everyday.

_I'll find it some day_

She knew the moment she looked into his smiling eyes that she was going to spend the rest of her life with him; one way or the other.

_And then this fool will rush in!_

For once, Marshall let his thoughts wander to the future. He thought far enough to thinking about how she would react to marrying him. A mental reminder of her needs this particular evening brought him back as he was reminded this began in heartache. He began to lead her back to the couch.

_Put your head on my shoulder_

Mary let him lead her and they fell back onto the couch with her lying half on top of him. His body was solid, yet soft as he held her. He held her hair to the side as she laid her head into the crook of his neck. She kissed his jaw line as she relaxed into him once again.

_Whisper in my ear, Baby_

She whispered a thank you in his ear as she closed her eyes and mumbled that she loved him as she was lulled to sleep by the feeling of his heartbeat beneath her hand and the soothing touch of his fingers threading through her hair from her scalp to the ends.

_Words I want to hear, tell me_

The feel of her steady breathing on his neck was enough to relax him into an almost hypnotic state. He turned his head slightly, so as not to wake her, and kissed her forehead and whispered promises of love and protection for however long she would need or want it. He felt her lips shift into a smile and he knew she understood.

_Put your head on my shoulder._

**And there you have it. This song was sung to me when I was a little girl by my mother. She died when I was nine years old so I'm imagining Mary's reaction to the song would probably be similar to mine. The only difference is that I don't have Marshall to comfort me :-P **

**I hope you liked it! No worries, I'm still working on "Situations"! This just popped into my head.**

**LP**


	2. Talk You Down

**Well, inspiration has struck once again; this time while at the gym! This song was playing on the radio and I almost fell off the treadmill when I heard the lyrics. I thought it was absolutely perfect for Mary and Marshall. Please enjoy! On another note, has anyone played Marshall's Minutia on the USA site? He's a jackass!**

_I can feel the colour running__  
__as it's fading from my face.__  
__Try to speak but nothing's coming; __  
__Nothing I could say to make you stay__  
__Grabbed your suitcase called a taxi_

Mary ran from her house, slamming the door on her way out. She was pretty sure the windows shook with the force of the door but she couldn't possibly care less. Climbing into her car and sticking the key in the ignition, she seethed when the engine didn't turn over. She beat the steering wheel with fury while attempting to turn the car on. The Probe revved to life as if it could sense her anger.

****_It's 3am now where you gonna go?__  
__Gonna stay with friends in London__  
__and that's all I get to know_

She drove the streets of Albuquerque aimlessly. Turn after turn, down one street, up another, she was still as pissed as the moment it started.

"_What the fuck is going on here?" Mary shrieked as Raphael and Jinx broke apart from their embrace._

"_Mary, it's not what it looks like," Raph slurred his words and it was obvious how drunk he was. That was no excuse. Mary had learned early in life that being drunk wasn't an excuse for anything. She looked over at Jinx who was looking anywhere but at her daughter._

"_What the hell, 'Mom'?" she spat the word 'mom'; "You're drinking again, aren't you? God, I can't believe you!" Mary began pacing like a caged tiger. She had to get out of there. "I want both of you out by morning," her voice held a deep monotone to it and those on the receiving end understood instantly that they shouldn't try to get out of this one. She glared at the two on her couch and waited for them to nod in acceptance of her demand. Once satisfied with their responses, she left in a whirlwind of fury._

Before she knew it, she was at the airstrip. How or why she ended up there was beyond her comprehension but her car was just about out of gas and the clear night spoke to her addled mind. _Call Marshall_ it seemed to tell her. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she pressed the appropriate speed dial and waited for his voice as she pulled up against one of the adjoining buildings.

"Jack's Chicken Shack; you kill it, we grill it!" Marshall's greeting was like water to a thirsty man in the desert. She let out a half-sob half-laugh which turned into full-on sobbing. Marshall's voice immediately switched to concerned, "What's wrong? What happened? More importantly, where are you?" She heard his front door slam and knew he was coming to find her.

_Just a cigarette gone__  
__No you couldn't be that far__  
__so I'm driving in my car where I hope you are_

Marshall was on full-alert when she began sobbing uncontrollably into her phone. Not knowing what else to do, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the truck; all the while trying to get her to tell him where she was. He was able to make out the word 'airstrip' from the attempts to talk while sobbing. He stayed on the phone with her as he made his way there.

****_Maybe I can talk you down__  
__Maybe I can talk you down_

Mary shivered in the night. She was still sobbing into the phone but couldn't bring herself to hang it up. She knew he'd come to her. He always did. She heard the screech of tires behind her and only then did she place the phone down; turning it off as she did so. His strong arms wrapped around her and she fell into his embrace. For what seemed like hours they stood there: Mary an inconsolable mess and her rock stroking her hair and whispering words of encouragement into her ear while kissing her temple.

_We're standing on a tiny ledge.__  
__Before this goes over the edge__  
__Gonna use my heart and not my head__  
__And try to open up your eyes__  
__This is relationship suicide_

Mary's legs gave out and she let Marshall guide her to the ground where they could lean against the car. He kept his arm around her shoulder and she welcomed the stability that his body offered.

"You were right," she cried into his chest and felt his grip on her shoulder tighten as he brought her closer.

"What was I right about?" he inquired, "I'm right about many things." This elicited a chuckle from his distraught partner. The chuckle soon turned into more sobbing. "Hey, look at me," he brought his finger to her chin and gently lifted her face to look at his. His heart broke for her as she wiped some stray tears from her face. He covered her hand with his and put it back at his chest where it had previously resided and continued her job of wiping the tears away. Her eyes closed at his touch. He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Talk to me, Mare," he pleaded with her, "I'm right here, please, tell me what happened."

_Cos if you go, I go...__  
_

Marshall wasn't going to leave her; not like everyone else in her life. Marshall was different. He was Marshall; her Marshall. So she told him all of the sordid details about what she had walked in on in her house.

_Taking shortcuts through the alleys__  
__While your racing through my mind__  
__Cops can chase but they won't catch me__  
__Not before I get to speak my mind__  
__If there's still time_

He ground his teeth as she told him what she had seen. How anyone could betray his woman like that was beyond him. He had been thinking of her as his for a while now. It was against his better judgment but he couldn't help it. He held her close as she cried. "Tell me what you need," he whispered in her ear. She buried her face into his shoulder and clung to him as if he were about to disappear in a puff of smoke.

_Just a cigarette gone__  
__No you couldn't be that far__  
__So I'm driving in my car where I hope you are__  
__Maybe I can talk you down__  
__Maybe I can talk you down_

Mary thought about all the times when she was deemed 'out of control' and 'hard to handle' and was immediately able to associate Marshall as the driving force of her sanity and the voice of reason in each of those scenarios. "I need this," she whispered into the night, "I need you."

_We're standing on a tiny ledge__  
__Before this goes over the edge__  
__Gonna use my heart and not my head__  
__and try to open up your eyes__  
__This is relationship suicide_

Marshall took this acknowledgment of necessity as permission for him to gather her up into his arms and to coax her into the truck. They would come back for her car tomorrow. Tonight, he was going to be there for her in whatever role she needed. He raked his long fingers through his hair as he walked around the truck to the drivers' side. After getting in and buckling him and Mary in, he reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.****

_Cos if you go, I go...__  
__Cos if you go, I go...__  
__Cos if you go, I go...__  
__Cos if you go, I go...___

_We're standing on a tiny ledge__  
__Before this goes over the edge__  
__Gonna use my heart and not my head_

Marshall drove and drove. He had an inkling that she didn't want to go anywhere that was even the slightest bit domestic. He drove towards the open desert. A symbolic gesture at best, representing him theoretically getting the girl and riding off into the sunset. Granted, it was the dead of night, he was driving a shiny truck, and more importantly, Mary was in no way his. _Yet_, he added in his mind. He still held out hope for her. He parked on the side of the road next to a hill. Nudging Mary as an indication that she should get out of the car, he went to the back and grabbed a blanket and a bottle of scotch that he hadn't realized was there. Holding the items in one hand, he extended the other to his partner who was leaning dejectedly against the truck. She accepted it and they made their way to the top of the hill.****

_Just a cigarette gone__  
__No you couldn't be that far__  
__So I'm driving in my car where I hope you are__  
__Maybe I can talk you down__  
__Maybe I can turn around_

She wrapped her arms around herself and watched his tall frame shake out the blanket. He turned to her and grinned as he sat on the edge of the blanket. Marshall gestured for her to join him and brandished the bottle of scotch. Mary joined him on the blanket and laid her head on his thigh. She was rendered speechless at the view that was presented to her as she looked at the sky. The night was riddled with stars stretching in every direction.

"There's the big Dipper," she pointed to the large group of stars that made up the only constellation she knew. Marshall began absentmindedly playing with her hair.

"Yep," he said softly, "and there's Delphinius the dolphin, Orion, the warrior, and that tiny cluster of stars over there are called the Pleiades otherwise known as the seven sisters." He took off his jacket and placed it below her head before shifting to lie down by her side; his feet at her head and his head at her feet. A bright light streaked across his line of sight and the sharp intake of breath indicated that Mary had seen the same thing. "Make a wish," he instructed.

"Doofus," she smiled as she closed her eyes while his hand slid under the lower hem of her pants to stroke her ankle.

_We're standing on a tiny ledge__  
__Before this goes over the edge__  
_

Mary sat up and leaned forward so her body aligned with his. Marshall welcomed her with open arms and held her tight as she rested her head on his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she sighed in contentment. Her hand began tracing circles on his chest to the same rhythm that he was stroking her hair to. Picking her head up, she looked into his eyes and found the reassurance that she was looking for. Mary leaned down and placed her lips to his. She felt him smile against her lips as he kissed her back beneath the stars. "Thank you," she whispered as she continued to kiss him beneath the New Mexican night sky.

_Gonna use my heart and not my head__  
__and try to open up your eyes__  
__This is relationship suicide_

**There we go! I have a thing for finishing things at 2am. I hope you liked it! Review please!**

**LP, CPhT**


	3. I'm Yours

**LP is back! With another songfic by the Script. I seem to be on a kick but it's not my fault the lyrics fit so perfectly! **

*******SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 FINALE***** **

**Enjoy!**

Mary first realized it on her first WitSec assignment. She was rude, uncouth, conceited, and obnoxious; even she knew it. She knew exactly who she was and she made no point to deny it; well, she thought she knew who she was until he came along.

_You touch these tired eyes of mine__  
__And map my face out line by line__  
__And somehow growing old feels fine__  
__I listen close for I'm not smart__  
__You wrap you thoughts in works of art__  
__And they're hanging on the walls of my heart_

Where most would have cowered in her fearsomely authoritative presence, he merely walked in with his confident air that surrounded him constantly, introduced himself, and looked into her eyes while saying four words: "where are my witnesses". Shaken by his calm demeanor and the fact that he was not scared of her in the slightest, she looked back at her map and gestured into the next room before acting as if he wasn't there.

It grated on her to know that she would have to go into that room with the blubbering girl. She just wouldn't stop crying! And he was such a slow talker. It was taking forever for him to explain that they would be in witness protection for the rest of their lives. So she did it for him.

Anyone else would have taken one look at her brushing her teeth in the parking lot of a hotel and averted their eyes in shame for her. He, however, walked right up to her and told her what was what; in fancy words, no less. She could tell he was getting frustrated. It was taking longer for her to get him to crack than it would any other person. It was then that she realized that he was different. Different meant change. Change was bad. She tried harder but to no avail.

They had bonded in the dark car ride en route to Albuquerque. He told her of his adventures with his dad and brothers; she told him of midnight snack runs with her father.

They said their goodbyes to the couple they were transporting and made it back to the office. She observed him and a short bald man speaking in hushed tones while looking in her direction. It was unsettling but she knew then that this was were she belonged.

_I may not have the softest touch__  
__I may not say the words as such__  
__And though I may not look like much__  
__I'm yours__  
__And though my edges may be rough__  
__And never feel I'm quite enough__  
__It may not seem like very much__  
__But I'm yours_

She first realized how he felt when trapped on top of a collapsing building. She heard his desperation as he ran to the top of another building to neutralize the threat. The panic in his voice was subtle but she was able to pick up on it. She was always able to pick up on his subtleties. That's how they were.

Locke had been talking about how all that mattered was having your partner's back and for them to have yours in return. What was between them was theirs.

Upon exit of the building her eyes found his. She was briefly able to read his mind and that's how she discovered the depth of his feelings for her. Her yearning for blind devotion had been fulfilled. With his curt nod, her suspicions were confirmed and left for her to ponder.

_You heeled these scars over time__  
__Embraced my soul__  
__You loved my mind__  
__You're the only angel in my life__  
__The day news came my best friend died__  
__My knees went week and you saw me cry__  
__Say I'm still the soldier in your eyes_

Mary had first realized her feelings on the matter before she was aware of their reciprocation. She hadn't really been mad so much as she was hurt and afraid. Hurt that he couldn't talk to her about his reasons for looking for other employment; afraid that she would once again be the U.S. Marshal that no one would work with. More importantly, however, she was afraid that she would lose her best and only friend.

When Marshall was shot, he died. The Marshall that was her best friend and closest companion was dead the moment that bullet pierced his skin. From that moment forward, he was The Marshall. He became that one person she woke up for every morning and the only person who was able to help her in her times of trouble. When Marshall died, she realized she loved him.

So he was reborn. She risked everything so he would live. She held her own witness hostage and left him once Marshall was safe in the truck. She broke every traffic law to get him to the intersect point. She wouldn't let him die; he meant too much. She would do it all again. She would do whatever it took to keep him with her.

_I may not have the softest touch__  
__I may not say the words as such__  
__And though I may not look like much__  
__I'm yours__  
__And though my edges may be rough__  
__And never feel I'm quite enough__  
__It may not seem like very much__  
__But I'm yours_

Marshall had bared his soul to her. It unnerved her, the way he was looking at her. His eyes were pleading almost to the point of "on your knees" begging. She understood perfectly what he was trying to tell her. His voice had gotten low and he seemed to be talking straight out of his throat. It was almost as if he was trying to communicate telepathically to her. His lips barely moved yet she knew he was talking.

Hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do. Mary needed to take a step back to think. If she was going to do this, she was going to be 110% sure of her course of action. While it may not have been the best idea to leave the country (with Faber, no less) to do this, she stood by her actions. Now was not their time. The time for them was in the future and it will be better then because of all this. There is nothing like distance to make the heart grow fonder.

Her fling with Faber lasted about as long as the vacation. With him being in Denver and her being in Albuquerque, the distance was just too much and neither of them was that devoted to the relationship anyway.

_I may not have the softest touch__  
__I may not say the words as such__  
__I know I don't fit in that much __  
__But I'm yours_

Mary smiled into her husband's eyes as they made their way around the dance floor for the first time as husband and wife. It was all so unreal to her; everything that had happened happened for a reason. It brought them to this moment. This one moment would now have been so perfect had it not been for the bumps and scrapes along the way. If it had happened earlier, they might had been separated or wound up hurting one another. But now she was Mary Elizabeth Mann.

And everything was as it should be.

Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.

**I just had to do this… I refuse to believe that she's really choosing that jackass over our wonderful Marshall. Please let me know what you thought!**

**LP, CPhT**


End file.
